Hands on a Hardbody

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Cast Size

6w, 9m
Duration

More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
Subgenre

Adaptation (Stage & Screen)
Suggested Use
- Competition or Audition Material
Target Audience

Adult, Senior, Pre-Teen (Age 11-13), Teen (Age 14-18)

Accolades

Nominee: Three 2013 Tony Awards, including Best Original Score, 2013
Nominee: Nine 2013 Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Musical, Book, Music and Lyrics
Nominee: Three 2013 Outer Critics Circle Awards, including Outstanding New Broadway Musical and Outstanding New Score

Details

Summary

For 10 hard-luck Texans, a new lease on life is so close they can touch it. Under a scorching sun for days on end, armed with nothing but hope, humor and ambition, they'll fight to keep at least one hand on a brand-new truck in order to win it. In the hilarious, hard-fought contest that is Hands on a Hardbody only one winner can drive away with the American Dream. Inspired by the true events of the acclaimed 1997 documentary of the same name by S.R. Bindler, produced by Kevin Morris and Bindler.

Check out the videos below!

History

Hands on a Hardbody premiered on Broadway at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre in New York City on March 21, 2013. Directed by Neil Pepe, the production featured Keala Settle, Keith Carradine, Hunter Foster, Jay Armstrong Johnson and Dale Soules. The musical was previously presented by by La Jolla Playhouse in La Jolla, California, on June 6, 2012, also directed by Mr. Pepe.

Cast Attributes

Keywords

Performing Groups

JD DREW: Male, 60 (Range: Baritone, G2-D4)
A “good old boy” with pomaded gray hair and a highwattage grin.
KELLI MANGRUM: Female, 22 (Range: Mezzo-Soprano, A3-E5)
A pretty brunette with steel ambition.
BENNY PERKINS: Male, Mid 40’s (Range: Tenor, C#3-G#4)
Lanky frame, weatherbeaten face, ingratiating grin and lots of homespun philosophy.
GREG WILHOTE: Male, Early 20’s (Range: Tenor, D3-B4)
A freckled white kid in a baseball cap.
JESUS PENA: Male, 20’s (Range: Tenor, E3-B4)
A driven Mexican kid.
CHRIS ALVARO: Male, 20’s (Range: Tenor, Ab2-Ab4)
Well-built under his hoodie, a pair of aviator glasses conceal his eyes.
RONALD MCCOWAN: Male, 35 (Range: Tenor, F3-B4)
A goodnatured African-American with a slight Louisiana accent.
HEATHER STOVALL: Female, 29 (Range: Mezzo-Soprano, A3-D#5)
A flirtatious blonde restaurant hostess.
VIRGINIA DREW: Female, Mid 50’s (Range: Mezzo-Soprano, G3-C5)
A one-time beauty settling into middle-age.
MIKE FERRIS: Male, Late 30’s (Range: Tenor, Eb3-Bb4)
Boyishly handsome, wears a cheap tie with a Nascar clip.
CINDY BARNES: Female, 34-50 (Range: Ensemble/Part Flexible)
Former Miss Gregg County, still fond of pageant hair and pastels.
NORMA VALVERDE: Female, 35-45 (Range: Low Mezzo, D3-G5)
A stout Latina woman in tennis shoes and a floral applique t-shirt.
JANIS CURTIS: Female, Mid 60’s (Range: Low Mezzo, D3-Bb4)
A tough old bird with sun-burnished skin and missing teeth.
DON CURTIS: Male, Mid 60’s (Range: Baritone, A2-Bb3)
Wears a cardboard sign on his head that proclaims “I LOVE YOU JANIS, GO BABY GO!"
FRANK NUGENT: Male, Mid 50’s (Range: Bari-Tenor, Eb3-Gb4)
Disc Jockey, a diehard good ole boy dressed in a Stetson.
DOCTOR STOKES: Male, Age Flexible (Range: Ensemble/Part Flexible)
A professor from LeTourneau University.
BRAND NEW, NISSAN HARDBODY TRUCK
Rendered realistically; it should have corporeality, heft and an alluring, shiny red finish.

NOTE: Despite their colorful eccentricities and regional turns of phrase, the characters in our story are inspired by very real people. They should not be played broadly, or with an implied "wink." Rather, they should be acted with integrity, with full regard for their ardent hopes, heart-breaking foibles and core decency.

Despite their colorful eccentricities and regional turns of phrase, the characters in our story are inspired by very real people. They should not be played broadly, or with an implied "wink." Rather, they should be acted with integrity, with full regard for their ardent hopes, heart-breaking foibles and core decency.

Time Period Present Day, New Millennium/21st Century, 1990s
Setting The Floyd King Nissan dealership, Longview, Texas.
Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
Cautions
- Strong Language
- Mild Adult Themes

Media

“Hands down, it's musical theatre heaven!” – New York Magazine

“You can hear the sound of America singing in this daring new musical.” – The New York Times, Read More

“Completely, satisfyingly right!” – Wall Street Journal, Read More

“Hands down it's musical theatre heaven!” – New York Magazine, Read More

“Well, if the run isn’t extended due to sales being through the roof, then something is terribly wrong with the world. This is a spectacular theatrical production and should be seen by everyone in town.” – The Sappy Critic, Read More

ON BREAKING CHARACTER

Our Picks for The 2019/20 Season: K-12 Edition
Felicia Lucas
April 23, 2019

Our Picks For The 2019/20 Season
Lawrence Haynes
January 7, 2019

Keeping Their Hands On The Hardbody
by Scott Miller
November 2, 2014

HANDS ON A HARDBODY Drives from Broadway to Samuel French
by Katy DiSavino
April 24, 2013

Videos

The Story of Hands on a Hardbody
The Creation of Hands on a Hardbody
The Music of Hands on a Hardbody
Producing Hands on a Hardbody
Green & Johnson - "I'm Gone"
Amanda Green discusses "I'm Gone"
Quote Montage
What Do You Stand For?
What is a Hardbody?
The Driving Force Behind Hands on a Hardbody
Behind the Soundtrack

Show more +

Photos

Image: 2013 Broadway Production (Chad Batka)

Image: 2013 Broadway Production (Chad Batka)

Music

Music Samples

0. Opening / Prologue – Band
1. "It's a Human Drama Thing" – Company
1a. That Person Could Possibly Beat Me – Band
1b. He Shouldn't Even Be Climbing Stairs – Band
2. "If I Had This Truck" – JD, Benny, Ronald, Greg, Jesus, Chris, Don, Heather, Kelli, Norma & Janis
2a. Take Fifteen! – Band
3. Brothers (scene) – Band
3a. After "Brothers In The Storm" – Band
4. "If She Don't Sleep" – Don & Janis
4a. After "She Don't Sleep" – Band
4b. I'll See you At Sun Up – Band
5. "My Problem Right There" – Ronald, Heather, Kelli, Norma & Benny
5a. It's Break Time, People – Band
6. "Alone with Me" – Virginia & JD
6a. Before "Burn That Bridge" – Band
7. "Burn That Bridge" – Heather, Mike, Kelli, Norma & Greg
7a. Time's Up, Hands On! – Band
8. "I'm Gone" – Kelli & Greg
8a. After "I'm Gone" – Band
8b. Formica Looks Just Fine – Band
9. "Joy of the Lord" – Norma, JD, Janis, Kelli, Greg, Jesus, Benny & Heather
10. "Stronger" – Chris, Norma, Heather, Kelli, Janis, Jesus, Greg, JD, Benny & Don
11. "Hunt with the Big Dogs" – Benny, Kelli, Greg, Janis, Norma, Heather, Jesus, Don & JD
12. "Hands on a Hardbody" – Frank & Mike
12a. After "Hardbody" – Band
13. "Born in Laredo" – Jesus, Kelli, Norma, Janis, Heather, Cindy, Greg, Benny, Don & JD
13a. After "Laredo" – Band
14. "Alone with Me (Reprise)" – JD
15. "It's a Fix" – Janis & Don
15a. All Right, Then! – Band
15b. 'Til the Bitter End – Band
16. "Used To Be" – JD, Benny, Kelli, Norma, Heather, Greg & Jesus
16a. Damn Cruel Game – Band
17. "It's a Fix (Reprise)" – Heather
17a. Ronald Comes Back – Band
18. "God Answered My Prayers" – Benny & Company
20. "Joy of the Lord (Reprise)" – Ronald, Chris & Norma
21. "Keep Your Hands On It" – Company
22. Bows (Stronger) – Band
23. Exit Music – Company

Musical Style Pop/Rock, Country/Western
Vocal DemandsModerate
Orchestra Size Medium
Chorus Size No Chorus

Licensing & Materials

Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.

Music Rentals

Concord offers a full suite of resources to help you put on the show of a lifetime!

15 Vocal Book
1 Keyboard 1-Conductor (rehearsal & performance)

1 Keyboard 2
1 Guitar 1 – Electric, Electric with slide, Electric with distortion, Steel String Acoustic, Acoustic & Slide
1 Guitar 2 – Electric, Electric with slide, Pedal Steel, Lap Steel & Dobro
1 Bass – Electric & Acoustic
1 Drums – Kit, Shaker & Rattle
1 Violin-Mandolin
1 Cello

15 Vocal Book
1 Keyboard 1-Conductor (rehearsal & performance)

Scripts

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Authors

Doug Wright

Doug Wright’s play Quills premiered at Washington, D.C.'s Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in 1995 and subsequently had its debut off-Broadway at New York Theatre Workshop. Quills garnered the 1995 Kesselring Prize for Best New American Play from the National Arts Club and, for ...

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Amanda Green

Amanda Green is a Tony-nominated lyricist/composer. She is the recipient of the 2013 Frederic Loewe Award from the Dramatists Guild (with collaborator Trey Anastasio) for her music for Hands On A Hardbody (lyricist; co-composer), one of two new musicals she premiered on Broa ...

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Trey Anastasio

Sometimes it’s tempting to reflect on the road not taken. But while most of us regard a fork in the road as an either/or proposition – left or right? – Trey Anastasio instead sees a convergence of opportunities. Traveler, the new solo album that he co-produced with Peter Kati ...

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Hands on a Hardbody